| information for health care professionals |

Reviewed April 2018

U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Servic

Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention 

es 

Talking with Parents about Vaccines for Infants

Doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and office staff all play 

a key role in establishing and maintaining a practice-wide 

commitment to communicating effectively about vaccines 

and maintaining high vaccination rates. You can all answer 

parents’ questions, provide educational materials, and ensure 

that families make and keep vaccine appointments. 

Parents consider their child’s health care professionals to 

be their most trusted source of information when it comes 

to vaccines. This is true even for parents who are vaccinehesitant or who have considered delaying one or more 

vaccines. Therefore, you have a critical role in helping parents 

choose vaccines for their child.

With all you do, you may feel that long vaccine conversations 

are stressful when you also need to check physical and 

cognitive milestones and have a full schedule of patients. 

Because of this, we designed this resource to guide you with 

conversational techniques and resources for discussing 

vaccines with parents.

Assume parents will vaccinate

State which vaccines the child needs to receive.

When discussing vaccines for children, it is best to remember 

most parents are planning to accept vaccines and to introduce 

the topic with that in mind. State the child will receive 

vaccines as though you presume that parents are ready to 

accept recommended vaccines for their child during that 

visit. For example:

Instead of saying “What do you want to do about shots?,” say

“Your child needs three shots today.”

Instead of saying “Have you thought about the shots your child 

needs today?,” say “Your child needs DTaP, Hib, and Hepatits B

shots today.”

A research study looking at health care professionals’ (HCPs) 

and parents’ interactions during vaccine visits showed that 

parents were more likely to express concerns when providers 

used language that asked parents about their vaccination 

plans. In this study, the presumptive approach resulted in 

significantly more parents accepting vaccines for their child, 

especially at first-time visits1. However, if parents still hesitate 

or express concerns, move to the next step and give your 

strong recommendation.

Parents consent with no 

further questions?

3 Listen to and respond to parent’s questions

Parents respond positively 

to your answers?

Administer 

recommended 

vaccine doses

1 Assume parents will vaccinate

Parents not ready 

to vaccinate?

Parents accept your 

recommendation?

Parents have specific 

questions or concerns?

2 Give your strong 

recommendation
Give your strong recommendation 

If parents express concerns, then share your strong vaccine 

recommendation. 

Although parents frequently consult family members, 

friends, and webpages for information on vaccines, 

parents consistently rank their child’s doctor as their most 

trusted source for vaccine information. With this unique 

position, your strong recommendation is critical for vaccine 

acceptance. 

Clearly state your strong recommendation. If appropriate, 

you can add a brief supporting statement that uses a mix 

of science and anecdote, depending on what you think will 

be most efective with that parent. Share the importance of 

vaccines to protect children from potentially life threatening 

diseases, or talk about your personal experiences with 

vaccination. For example: 

“ I strongly recommend your child get these vaccines today...” 

“ ...These shots are very important to protect him from 

serious diseases.” 

“ ...I believe in vaccines so strongly that I vaccinated my own 

children on schedule.” 

“...Thisofficehasgiventhousandsofdosesofvaccinesand

we have never seen a serious reaction.” 

Listen to and respond to parents’ 

questions 

Seek to understand parents’ concerns and provide 

requested information. 

Although research shows most parents in the U.S. support 

vaccines, you will encounter parents with questions. If a 

parent has concerns, resists following the recommended 

vaccine schedule, or questions your strong recommendation, 

this doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t accept vaccines. 

Sometimes parents simply want your answers to their 

questions. Your willingness to listen to their concerns 

will play a major role in building trust in you and your 

recommendation. 

When listening, seek to understand the concerns behind 

parents’ questions before responding with information the 

parent may not be asking about. If you encounter questions 

you do not know the answer to, or information from sources 

you are unfamiliar with, it is best to acknowledge the parent’s 

concerns and share what you do know. Ofer to review the 

information they have found and, if necessary, schedule 

another appointment to discuss it further. 

What if parents refuse to vaccinate? 

If parents decline immunizations afer your strong 

recommendation and conversation, use the following 

strategies: 

 Continue the conversation about vaccines during the next 

visit and restate your strong recommendation. 

 Inform parents about clinical presentations of vaccinepreventable diseases, including early symptoms. 

 Remind parents to call before bringing their child into the 

ofce, clinic, or emergency department when the child 

is ill so health care professionals can take precautions to 

protect others. Explain that when scheduling an ofce visit 

for an ill child who has not received vaccines, you will need 

take all possible precautions to prevent contact with other 

patients, especially those too young to be fully vaccinated 

and those who have weakened immune systems. 

 Share If You Choose Not to Vaccinate Your Child, 

Understand the Risks and Responsibilities with parents. Tis 

fact sheet explains the risks involved with their decision, 

including risks to other members of their community, and 

additional precautionary responsibilities for parents. 

 You may wish to have parents sign AAP’s Refusal to 

Vaccinate form each time a vaccine is refused so that you 

have a record of their refusal in their child’s medical fle. 

Wrapping up the conversation 

Remember that success comes in many forms. It may mean 

that parents accept all vaccines when you recommend them, 

or that they schedule some vaccines for another day. For very 

vaccine-hesitant parents, success may simply mean agreeing 

to leave the door open for future conversations. 

Work with parents to agree on at least one action, such as: 

 Scheduling another appointment or 

 Encouraging the parent to read additional information you 

provide them. 

If a parent declines vaccines once, it does not guarantee 

they always will. Continue to remind parents about the 

importance of keeping their child up to date on vaccines 

during future visits and work with them to get their child 

caught up if they fall behind. 

Findresourcesforspecificparentquestions:

Preparing For Vaccine Questions Parents May Ask 

For information on vaccines, vaccine safety, and vaccine 

preventablediseases:

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/conversations 

1 Opel, D. J., MD, MPH. (2015). Te Infuence of Provider Communication Behaviors on Parental Vaccine Acceptance and Visit Experience. 

Te American Journal of Public Health, 105(10), 1998-2004. 04/17/18